Private School

Inspection Report

Mayoor Private School

Academic Year 2016 2017

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 Mayoor Private School

Inspection Date January 30, 2017 to February 2, 2017

Date of previous inspection May 3, 2015 to May 7, 2015

General Information Students

Total number of
School ID 247 1148
students

Opening year of %of students per Main Curriculum 100%

2014
school curriculum Other Curriculum 0
KG 353
Number of students Primary: 565
Principal Annahita Pagdiwalla
in other phases Middle: 215
High: 15

School telephone +971 (0)2 510 0800 Age range 3 to 14 years

Building No. 25, Al Wathba Grades or Year

School Address KG to Grade 10
South , Abu Dhabi Groups

Official email (ADEC) [email protected] Gender Boys and girls

www.mayoorschoolabudha % of Emirati
School website 0%
bi.com Students
1. Indian 98%
Fee ranges (per Low to average: Largest nationality 2. Pakistani, Nepalese,
annum) AED 17,500 to AED 25,000 groups (%) Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan,
Filipino: 2%
Licensed Curriculum Staff

Main Curriculum Indian Number of teachers 79

Other Curriculum Number of teaching

---- 0
(if applicable) assistants (TAs)
External Exams/ Teacher-student KG/ FS 1:18
IBT
Standardised tests ratio Other phases 1:13
Central Board of Secondary
Accreditation Teacher turnover 8%
Education (CBSE)

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 Introduction
Inspection activities
Number of inspectors 5
deployed

Number of inspection days 4

Number of lessons observed 123

Number of joint lesson 6

observations
Number of parents
746; response rate: 70%
questionnaires
Inspectors held discussions with the owner, principal,
senior managers, teachers and other members of
Details of other inspection staff, students and parents. They reviewed a wide
activities range of school documentation and students work.
They observed assemblies, school activities, arrivals,
departures and intervals.

School
Mayoor Private School aims at promoting holistic
(well rounded) growth of each student to their full
School Aims potential. Emphasizing on: Intellectual, Personal,
Emotional & Social growth through all domains of
Knowledge.

Mission: Mayoor School provides a caring, friendly

and confident learning environment, wherein
excellence will be achieved by creating ethical,
proficient and high performing global citizens.

Vision: We provide our students with a learning

School vision and mission environment that is safe, caring, friendly and
educationally stimulating. Students develop their
knowledge and skills to become lifelong learners to
work collaboratively fairly and effectively with others,
and also develop respect and appreciation for the UAE
culture and Islamic religion, along with other cultures;

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 to create a better and more peaceful world.

The school has an open and inclusive admissions

policy. The students may be required to take an
Admission Policy
assessment for placement in a group that best suits
their needs.

The leadership team comprises the principal, vice

principal and three supervisors (one for each of the
Leadership structure KG, primary and high phases), an occupational safety
(ownership, governance and and health representative, and a technical manager,
management) and heads of department for the core subjects, and
coordinators for special educational needs co-
ordinator (SENCO) and CBSE.

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 SEN Details (Refer to ADEC SEN Policy and Procedures)
Number of students Number of other students
SEN Category identified through external identified by the school
assessments internally

Intellectual disability 2 3

Specific Learning Disability 2 6

Emotional and Behaviour

2 4
Disorders (ED/ BD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder
5 0
(ASD)
Speech and Language
0 0
Disorders
Physical and health related
3 0
disabilities

Visually impaired 0 0

Hearing impaired 1 0

Multiple disabilities 3 0

G&T Details (Refer to ADEC SEN Policy and Procedures)

G&T Category Number of students identified
4
Intellectual ability

Subject-specific aptitude (e.g. in science, 42

mathematics, languages)

Social maturity and leadership 2

Mechanical/ technical/ technological 25

ingenuity
Visual and performing arts (e.g. art,
20
theatre, recitation)

Psychomotor ability (e.g. dance or sport) 4

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The overall performance of the school
Inspectors considered the school in relation to 3 performance categories

Band A High performing (Outstanding, Very Good or Good)

Band B Satisfactory (Acceptable)

Band C In need of significant improvement (Weak or Very Weak)

The school was judged to be: Band A Good

Band C
Band A Band B
In need of significant
High Performing Satisfactory
improvement
Outstanding

Acceptable

Very Weak
Very Good

Weak
Good

Performance Standards

Performance Standard 1:

Students achievement

Performance Standard 2:
Students personal and
social development, and
their innovation skills

Performance Standard 3:
Teaching and assessment

Performance Standard 4:
Curriculum

Performance Standard 5:
The protection, care,
guidance and support of
students

Performance Standard 6:
Leadership and
management

Summary Evaluation:
The schools overall
performance

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The Performance of the School
Evaluation of the schools overall performance
The overall performance of the school is good. This is the result of the principals
effective leadership and the dedication and support of senior leaders and staff.
Students make good progress because teachers provide well-structured learning
opportunities and, consequently, standards have improved in most core subjects.
Very effective support for students personal and social development is balanced
with academic progress. Students appreciate and respect the heritage and culture
of the UAE. They have a very good understanding of Islamic values alongside their
Indian and other world heritage and cultures. Friendly, warm relationships create
a very positive learning environment where students are curious, confident and
happy. Parents views are welcomed. Students have leadership responsibilities
which encourage maturity and sense of belonging to the school community.

Progress made since last inspection and capacity to improve

The school has made good progress since its last inspection. Self-evaluation and
the school development plan (SDP) show leaders understanding of the schools
strengths and weaknesses. Leaders rigorously monitor the progress of the SDP
targets and the quality of teaching and learning. This has had a good impact on
raising achievement in most core subjects. Teachers now use information from
assessment to plan a range of activities that meet the learning needs of students
in most lessons. Children in the KG now have opportunities to explore learning
through the use of variety of materials. The personal development, care, guidance
and support for students has become very good. Opportunities to promote
students Islamic values, UAE culture and heritage have also improved. Leaders
have a good capacity to further improve the school.
Development and promotion of innovation skills
The school promotes innovation skills well. A number of innovation opportunities
have included through participation in ADECs Innovation Week. School-based
projects include developing electromagnetic motors, a solar car project, and
building electrical circuits to drive motors in science. In lessons, students apply
creative and critical thinking to solve more open-ended problems. Students use
digital technology by programing and coding using computer control technology
software. Overall, increasingly across the curriculum, the school is promoting the
skills that underpin innovation well.

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The inspection identified the following as key areas of strength:
the improved quality of leadership
the progress made by students in core subjects
the effective use of information and communication technology (ICT) to
support students learning and the development of their innovation skills
the positive relationships, attitudes and behaviour of students
the caring learning environment and the rich celebration of the UAE, Indian
and world cultures that permeate the school.

The inspection identified the following as key areas for

improvement:
students achievement in Arabic as a second language
the consistency of teaching and learning in a minority of lessons to challenge
students who are more able
the consistency of marking to support students learning more effectively.

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Performance Standard 1: Students Achievement

Students achievement Indicators KG Primary Middle High

Attainment N/A Good Good Good

Islamic
Education
Progress N/A Good Good Good

Attainment N/A N/A N/A N/A

Arabic
(as a First Language)
Progress N/A N/A N/A N/A

Arabic Attainment N/A Good Weak Acceptable

(as a Second
Language) Progress N/A Good Weak Acceptable

Attainment N/A Good Good N/A

Social Studies
Progress N/A Good Good N/A

Attainment Good Good Good Good

English
Progress Good Good Good Good

Attainment Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good

Mathematics
Progress Good Good Good Very Good

Attainment Good Good Acceptable Acceptable

Science
Progress Very Good Very Good Good Good

Language of
instruction (if other Attainment N/A N/A N/A N/A
than English and
Arabic as First Progress N/A N/A N/A N/A
Language)

Other subjects Attainment Good Good Good Good

(Art, Music, PE)

Progress Good Good Good Good

Learning Skills
(including innovation, creativity, critical
Good Good Good Good
thinking, communication, problem-
solving and collaboration)

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The overall quality of students achievement is good. Teachers continuous
assessments generally reflect an accurate evaluation of students present
coursework and attainment in lessons. Grade 10 students have not yet taken the
Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations. The International
Benchmark Tests (IBT) show that the majority of students are attaining above age-
related expectations in English and science and that the majority are in line in
mathematics. Boys, girls, students who have special educational needs (SEN) and
those who are gifted and talented (G&T) make similar progress to their peers.
Students achievement in Islamic Education is good. The majority of students are
attaining above age-related expectations as they progress though the school. For
example, students in Grade 5 use accurate language to describe the different ways
of thanking Allah and to be grateful to Him. The majority of students build on
previous knowledge and make links to their daily lives to a level above age-related
expectations. By Grade 10, the majority of students describe with deep
understanding the special virtues of the holy month of Ramadan and recite Surat Al-
Qadr to a level above age-related expectations.

Students achievement in Arabic as a second language is acceptable overall. Most

students are attaining standards that are at least in line with age-related
expectations except in the middle phase where achievement is weak. Most
students demonstrate appropriate skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking
Arabic for their age. For example, in Grade 1 most students know the alphabet, can
write the letters and give examples of appropriate words using the letters. They
progress well and by Grade 5 the majority can identify and use pronouns, read
paragraphs and answer comprehension questions with skills above age-related
expectations. Students progress and attainment slows in the middle phase where,
for example, the majority struggle to use adjectives in meaningful sentences, read
text fluently or write appropriately.

Students achievement in UAE social studies is good. The majority of students are
attaining above age-related expectations and they make good progress. In Grade 5,
for example, the majority can appraise the unity and strength of the seven emirates
and discuss the great contributions of late Sheikh Zayed in the formation of the UAE,
at levels above age-related expectations. By Grade 8, the majority of students can
compare past and present life, showing their deep understanding of the impact on
heritage, culture and values of the UAE.

Students achievement in English is good overall. The majority of students are

attaining above age-related expectations and making good progress in the
development of their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Students speak

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fluently and accurately and this enables them to access the rest of the curriculum.
For example, children in the KG learn to relate letters to sounds to fully develop
early literacy skills. This provides a good foundation for the progress they make
through the primary, middle and high phases in reading and writing. This can be seen
in, for example, Grade 5 where students read confidently to explore, discuss and
explain the meaning of literal and figurative idioms, with the majority showing skills
above those expected for their age. By the time they reach Grade 9, students apply
their literacy skills widely when they create plays related to British literature using
Shakespearean language assuredly in their performance.

Students attainment in mathematics is acceptable overall. Most attain standards in

line with age-related expectations. Their progress in KG, primary and middle school
is good and it is very good in the high school. Children in KG master their counting
skills and learn to sequence numbers in order, appropriately for their age. Most
students accelerate more rapidly in the primary and middle school phases where
their progress is good. In Grade 1, for example, students use simple two dimensional
(2D) shapes to build a figure and, by the time they reach Grade 5, they have
progressed to being able to calculate the area and perimeter of 2D shapes, in age-
appropriate ways. This good progress continues and by Grade 10 they use
trigonometry to estimate the height of buildings. Skills in other aspects progress
similarly well including in problem solving, for example.

Students achievement in science is good overall. In the KG and primary, the majority
of students attain above age-related expectations whereas in middle and higher
they are generally in line with expected levels. Practical skills are not consistently as
strong as knowledge and understanding, however. In the KG and primary phases,
the majority make very good progress. Building on their early understanding of
movement and energy in KG, by the time students reach Grade 5, the majority have
a strong understanding and detailed knowledge about energy and forces in different
contexts, at levels above those expected for their age. By Grade 9, most students
can compare different isotopes of the same element in age-appropriate ways.
Students achievement in other subjects is good. The majority of students are
attaining standards above age-related expectations. In other additional languages
such as French or Hindi, students skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening are
broadly in line with age-related expectations. In Grade 9 Hindi, for example, most
students speak fluently and correctly when studying and discussing poetry. In art,
Grade 5 students develop their creativity through reflecting on the work of famous
artists. Students at all grades actively develop their skills in a range of activities in
physical education (PE) which includes football and swimming. In music, students

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use computer tablets to simulate playing the piano, and sing traditional songs.

The quality of students learning skills is good overall. The majority of students
demonstrate skills that are above age-related expectations. They work
collaboratively to solve problems and share learning. They have mature attitudes in
lessons, are not afraid to make mistakes, and have mutual respect toward others.
Students apply their creative, critical-thinking, problem-solving and ICT skills
effectively in many lessons.

Performance Standard 2: Students personal and social development,

and their innovation skills

Students personal and social

development, and their innovation skills KG Primary Middle High
Indicators

Personal development Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good

Understanding of Islamic values and

Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good
awareness of Emirati and world cultures

Social responsibility and innovation skills Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good

Students personal and social development is very good overall. They have very
positive attitudes with warm and harmonious relationships with their peers and
teachers. This creates a productive environment for learning. Students engage in
learning very effectively, enjoy learning, are self-disciplined and bullying is rare. They
show personal confidence and demonstrate very good understanding of safe,
healthy lifestyles, and bring healthy food to school. Attendance is very good at 96%
and students are punctual.
Students show very good understanding of Islamic values and awareness of UAE
culture and heritage, along with Indian culture. The rich celebration of the UAE,
Indian and world cultures permeates lessons, assemblies, heritage displays and
students artwork across the school. Students recite verses from the Holy Quran,
sing the national anthem enthusiastically and salute the UAE flag in morning
assembly. They sing the school song, play musical instruments and present cultural
dance and drama to very high standards. They participate in occasions such as
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National Day and Flag Day. They show very good understanding of the schools
values of the month. They are well rewarded in assembly for entering school
competitions and subject challenges.

Students gain a sense of social responsibility through membership of the school

council and becoming prefects. They organise Charity Bazars and make donations
of food and clothing to the Red Crescent and do community cleaning projects. Older
students help to organise and support younger students during assembly taking
responsibility within the school community. Students organise anti-bullying
campaigns and have held awareness session in the local labour camps about
personal cleanliness and clean surroundings. Next month, a representative group of
students will travel to a poor village in India to teach the children in the village who
do not receive a formal education. Students demonstrate their awareness of
environmental issues through the schools Green Ambassadors Club. They
demonstrate well developed innovation skills in the extensive community and
extracurricular activities they organise and participate in. Students show a very
positive work ethic and are creative and innovative in the way they initiate and
contribute to community work.

Performance Standard 3: Teaching and Assessment

Teaching and Assessment Indicators KG Primary Middle High

Teaching for effective learning Good Good Good Good

Assessment Good Good Acceptable Good

The overall quality of teaching and assessment is good. Almost all teachers have
good subject knowledge and understand how students learn. Improved teaching
has raised achievement in most core subjects. Lesson planning is good and most
teachers ensure that learning is linked to UAE culture and heritage. Teachers
provide a stimulating learning environment where rewards for achievements and
displays of students work celebrate success. Teachers work effectively in teams to
share planning and resources which they use effectively to raise students
achievement. Teachers plans include the ADEC Competency Framework and this is
evident in most lessons. Students who need special support or increased challenge
are served well in most lessons, although teachers have yet to achieve consistency

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in a minority of lessons. The use of ICT in lessons and the provision of computers in
classrooms is very good. Teachers use ICT effectively to accelerate learning.
Opportunities for students to develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, innovation
and independent-learning skills including the relevant use of ICT, are also good.
Teachers enjoy very effective, harmonious, productive relationships for learning
with the students. In the most effective lessons, teachers use questions well to
encourage deeper critical thinking. They do not yet consistently promote deeper
thinking in all lessons, however, particularly where questions are used only to check
on students quick answers.
Assessment data is used effectively to monitor the schools progress. In most
lessons teachers use prior assessment information effectively to plan work to meet
the needs of students of different abilities. Where it is not used effectively, a
minority of high achieving students are not challenged effectively enough. The
school follows the CBSE assessment procedures and students progress is well
monitored. Marking in most subjects is regular with examples of helpful and
constructive feedback on how students can improve. Formative feedback remains
inconsistent in a minority of lessons, and students own role in assessing their own
and each others learning is underdeveloped, particularly in the middle phase.

Performance Standard 4: Curriculum

Curriculum Indicators KG Primary Middle High

Curriculum design and implementation Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good

Curriculum adaptation Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good

The overall quality of the curriculum is very good. Subject provision follows the
Indian CBSE structure. The curriculum is balanced, compliant and provides very good
continuity and progression. Teaching programmes are linked to the curriculum and
the ADEC Student Competency framework (SCF). The implementation of the
curriculum is very effective and teachers plans are very well coordinated with
specific reference to crosscurricular themes including, for example, UAE culture
and heritage, and competences such as perseverance and problem solving. Students
are encouraged to participate in national and cultural celebrations and traditions.
School leaders regularly review the curriculum to improve students overall

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experiences.
The adaptation of the curriculum is very good overall, including through additional
options such as ICT, Hindi, French, business studies, and a broad range of
extracurricular activities. The curriculum is very effectively modified to meet the
learning needs of almost all students. Planning includes differentiated activities to
ensure students make progress according to their different learning needs and
abilities. For example, in a Grade 5 mathematics lessons, students learning to
calculate the perimeter of rectangular shape were given different tasks which
increased the complexity of their calculations, making sure higher achieving
students were effectively challenged. Students who have special needs are given
support by the teacher and are provided with appropriate tasks that build on their
learning needs. In most lessons, gifted and talented students are challenged very
effectively, although this is not yet consistent in a minority of lessons. Teachers are
adapting lessons very effectively to provide more opportunities for students to
work collaboratively and to solve problems more independently.

Performance Standard 5: The protection, care, guidance and support

of students

The protection, care, guidance and

KG Primary Middle High
support of students Indicators

Health and safety, including

arrangements for child protection/ Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good
safeguarding

Care and support Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good

The overall quality of protection, care, guidance and support for students is very
good. Approaches to ensure a safe environment for students and staff are robust.
Routines for ensuring safety on buses or fire evacuation procedures are very clear
and implemented consistently. Staff and parents are made aware of child protection
and safeguarding procedures and teachers receive the relevant training. Staff follow
the safety guidance including use of the internet. Security guards monitor visitors to
the school premises. Maintenance and record keeping are robust.
The schools promotion of healthy lifestyles is very good. The nurse provides very
good information about health and wellbeing. Facilities are regularly checked and
cleaned. Procedures in the clinic and resources ensure any unwell students are cared

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for appropriately.
Staff work hard to promote very good relationships with students and this creates
an environment where students feel confident about asking for help and support if
they need it. The school has very effective procedures to promote very good
attendance and students enjoy coming to school. The school has taken steps to
promote this commitment to school through the way it promotes the importance of
students enjoyment of lessons and other activities. This demonstrates the strong
student-centred ethos of the school as a caring community where students feel
recognised as individuals and valued. Parents are contacted readily if there is a
problem and students feel they can ask to talk to the principal if they need to. The
school has good arrangements for identifying students who require additional
learning support or specialised help, and for those who are gifted and talented and
require greater challenge. The school has yet to ensure that the challenge for G&T
students is consistently applied in a minority of lessons, however.

Performance Standard 6: Leadership and management

Leadership and management Indicators

The effectiveness of leadership Good

Self-evaluation and improvement planning Good

Partnerships with parents and the community Very Good

Governance Good

Management, staffing, facilities and resources Very Good

The quality of leadership and management is good overall. The principal is well
supported by leaders and staff who are committed to improving standards. She has
established a clear vision for improvement with a clear focus on achieving the
schools improvement priorities. Very good relationships ensure a happy and secure
environment for learning. Leaders know that even more priority has to be given to
improving the consistency of learning and teaching across much of the curriculum in
order to raise achievement further.
Leaders involve staff, governors and parents in preparation of the schools self-
evaluation form (SEF) and the school improvement plan (SDP). The SEF is used
effectively to prioritise the improvement strategies in the SDP. Leaders know the
schools strengths and areas for improvement and these were reported very
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accurately in the schools SEF. Improvement targets are monitored well through
observation and visits to lessons by leaders.
Communication with parents and the wider school community is very good. Parents
receive regular feedback about their childs progress and their views are welcomed
through the schools virtual classroom. The parent council supports the work of the
school. Groups of mothers meet the principal to discuss ways of improving
communication and other aspects of school life. Very good links with the local
community organisations such as the Red Crescent help build students values and
contributions to the community.
Governors gain a clear understanding of the schools performance through regular
board meetings with the principal, whom they support very well. Governors monitor
the SEF and SDP targets regularly. They ensure the building is maintained properly
and that staff and their training are of good quality. The school runs very well each
day in the modern, well-designed building with high-quality facilities.

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What the school should do to improve further:
1. Improve achievement in Arabic, mathematics and science by:
i. reviewing the breadth of skills being promoted regularly in lessons and
address deficiencies
ii. implementing a whole-school framework for applying speaking skills in
Arabic in appropriate contexts
iii. monitoring closely the progress students make in lessons
iv. providing a wider range of resources matched to students reading
ages.

2. Improve the consistency of teaching and learning in lessons by:

i. providing learning tasks that give challenge for more-able students
ii. assessing students learning and progress more rigorously to plan their
next steps
iii. increasing opportunities for students to measure their own progress
towards more challenging individual targets
iv. providing more opportunities for students to use self- and peer-
assessment in lessons, particularly in the middle phase.

3. Strengthen the impact of marking and feedback to support learning more

effectively by:
i. giving more consistent and helpful feedback to students so that
they know how to improve
ii. monitoring the quality of marking across all subjects and ensuring
expectations are clear and implemented
iii. modelling best practice in providing constructive feedback to
students during lessons for all teachers.

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